Jones Senior softball off to best start in recent history

Jones Senior softball coach Mike Sutton instructs his team during situational drills at practice Wednesday. The Lady Trojans are 7-3 overall and 1-2 in the Coastal Plains Conference this season.

Jordan Honeycutt/Sun Journal

By Jordan Honeycutt, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 08:42 PM.

TRENTON — Last season, the Jones Senior Lady Trojans softball team won just four games.

This year, they eclipsed that mark in their first four games, by starting the season 4-0.

Currently, the Trojans sit at 7-3 overall, 1-2 in the Coastal Plains Conference, and are coming off a 12-8 defeat to Dixon in which they couldn’t record the final out with an 8-6 lead.

They’ve beaten 3-A Eastern Wayne twice and James Kenan as part of their non-conference schedule.

“We’ve been giving some games away, and I think the biggest thing we need to do is to start finishing games,” Jones Senior coach Mike Sutton said.

Sutton says that because Jones County doesn’t have a recreational league for the younger girls, many of his players are still in the learning stages of the game.

“We’ve only got one senior and that’s our main pitcher, Brittany Baugus,” Sutton said. “With only two girls having any travel ball experience, we’re playing a lot of girls at new positions and they are still learning.”

TRENTON — Last season, the Jones Senior Lady Trojans softball team won just four games.

This year, they eclipsed that mark in their first four games, by starting the season 4-0.

Currently, the Trojans sit at 7-3 overall, 1-2 in the Coastal Plains Conference, and are coming off a 12-8 defeat to Dixon in which they couldn’t record the final out with an 8-6 lead.

They’ve beaten 3-A Eastern Wayne twice and James Kenan as part of their non-conference schedule.

“We’ve been giving some games away, and I think the biggest thing we need to do is to start finishing games,” Jones Senior coach Mike Sutton said.

Sutton says that because Jones County doesn’t have a recreational league for the younger girls, many of his players are still in the learning stages of the game.

“We’ve only got one senior and that’s our main pitcher, Brittany Baugus,” Sutton said. “With only two girls having any travel ball experience, we’re playing a lot of girls at new positions and they are still learning.”

The Lady Trojans have four hitters batting over .400 for the season.

Cassidy Sutton leads the team with a remarkable .606 clip, while Holly Sutton is the top power hitter with a pair of homers and 13 RBIs.

Holly Sutton is hitting a crisp .581 to go along with her power production, Baugus is batting .412 and Southern Maready is at .406.

Baugus is the team’s best on the bump with a 6-1 record and 2.64 ERA.

She has pitched 45 innings and fanned 40 opposing batters.

“Brittany’s done really well for us. She’s not an overpowering pitcher, but she throws strikes and relies on her defense,” Sutton said.

“I can see all of the girls getting better over the season. From beginning ‘til now, it’s a complete difference.”

Southwest Onslow, according to Sutton, is the team to beat in the conference and the favorite to win it, but the Lady Trojans are going to keep grinding and giving their best shot.

“We just want to be competitive, put ourselves in a position to win every ballgame,” Sutton said.